The Division of Nuclear Medicine was fortunate enough to hold a symposium on Nov 21, 2019 entitled: “Frontiers in Molecular Imaging: State-of- the-Art PET Imaging in Oncology, Cardiology, Neurology”, backed by a great leadership from the department chairman Dr. Jules Sumkin. The venue was the Cathedral Room on the top floor of the Oaklander Hotel on the University of Pittsburgh campus. The symposium was organized in part to commemorate the long career of our very own radiochemist, Chet Mathis, PhD, who invented and validated the Pittsburgh compound-B (PiB). This PET radiotracer capable of imaging beta amyloid plaques aids in the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, and has spawned an entire field of neuroimaging of dementias. A truly world class faculty from top institutions had graced the the event. The keynote speaker Dr.

Congratulations to Dr. Jessica Zhang for being the recipient of the first ever PRS sponsored RUTHERFORD-LAVANTY FELLOWSHIP in Government Relations.

Congratulations to the UPMC Resident RSNA team!! Our small but mighty team WON the RSNA resident imaging interpretation contest. The competition was stiff and included strong teams from across the US and Canada. Pat, Lori, and Jessica were in first place after the qualifying round (with Emory close behind) and established a commanding lead in the final round to cinch the victory. Well done team!!

Congratulations to Dr. Emanuel Kanal for the Best Radiology Educator 2019 award selected by the Minnies awards.

A clinical trial underway at UPMC for an innovative, targeted treatment for pancreatic cancer delivered via a special catheter shows promising results. Hear more about this treatment and her patient Darlene Bossola's progress from SIR member Dr. Paula Novelli on KDKA-TV | CBS Pittsburgh.

Congratulations to Chandler Fountain, one of our second year residents, who won an award for his presentation at a prestigious meeting in NY this past May. His poster - Intrathoracic Hemorrhage, Hemothorax, and Vascular Malformations: Pitfalls and Pearls for Successful Management - was awarded first place in the category of Case Reports and Posters. Great job Chandler!

Citation:
Fountain C, Novelli P, Orons P. Intrathoracic Hemorrhage, Hemothorax, and Vascular Malformations: Pitfalls and Pearls for Successful Management. 13^th Annual Global Embolization Symposium and Technologies (GEST). May 9-12, 2019, New York, NY. Awarded First Place – Case Reports & Posters.

Jeffrey Towers, MD and Edmond Russ, MD attended the 2019 NFL Scouting Combine Feb 26- Mar 2, 2019 as members of the Pittsburgh Steeler Football Club medical staff. Drs. Towers and Russ provided medical imaging consultations for 5 NFL teams as they evaluated the top NFL draft prospects for the upcoming season.

They also attended the NFL Physicians Society Annual Scientific Meeting and Symposium. Dr. Phillip Bradley, the Pittsburgh Steeler head team physician presented: “Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) Shortens Return to Play in National Football League (NFL) Players with Acute Hamstring Injuries.”, which was co-authored by Dr. Towers.

Dr. Towers has attended the Combine physicals since 2004. This was Dr. Russ’ second trip to the Combine.